Ehlers-Danlos & Hypermobility in Burlington, VT | Bendavid Clinic

Ehlers-Danlos & Hypermobility

Ehlers-Danlos & Hypermobility Care in Burlington, VT

For patients whose joints have been "just flexible" their whole lives: specialized evaluation and integrative care for Ehlers-Danlos syndromes and hypermobility spectrum presentations — joint instability, chronic pain, and the connective-tissue concerns that reach well past the joints — from naturopathic doctors in Burlington, Vermont.

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What’s Included

What Hypermobility & EDS Care at Bendavid Includes

Whether you arrive with an hEDS diagnosis or a lifetime of joints that dislocate, sprain, and ache without explanation, care starts the same way — a full evaluation of your connective tissue and the interactions between the body systems it affects, in Burlington, Vermont.

Hypermobility & hEDS Evaluation

A full history of the dislocations, sprains, skin and healing changes, and family pattern that make up a hypermobility picture — and a careful look at what distinguishes hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome from hypermobility spectrum disorder in your case.

Joint Instability, Subluxations & Chronic Pain

The joints that slip, the ankles that roll, the shoulders that come out — plus the chronic pain and early arthritis that follow years of instability. For patients who are candidates, we also offer regenerative injections for joint instability at the same clinic.

hEDS with POTS & Dysautonomia

Hypermobile connective tissue affects how blood vessels hold their tone, and POTS travels with hEDS often enough to be evaluated alongside it rather than after it.

hEDS with MCAS & Allergy Symptoms

Mast cell activation syndrome is the third condition in the cluster, and flushing, hives, food reactions, and unexplained anaphylaxis are common in hypermobile patients. One team evaluating all three beats three specialists each seeing a fragment.

Fatigue, Digestive & Whole-Body Symptoms

Connective tissue is in every organ, so hEDS rarely stays in the joints. We work through the fatigue, gut dysmotility, reflux, headaches, and poor sleep that patients are usually told are unrelated — because the interaction between systems is the diagnosis, not a coincidence.

Ongoing Care & Coordination

Hypermobility is managed over years, not visits, so the plan gets revisited as your body changes — and we coordinate with the physical therapists, rheumatologists, and geneticists already on your team.

Our Approach

Our Approach to Hypermobility & EDS

Naturopathic doctor with a hypermobility patient during a consultation at Bendavid Clinic in Burlington, Vermont

Most hypermobile patients spend a decade being praised for their flexibility and then dismissed for their pain. We start from the opposite assumption: the joints, the fatigue, the racing heart, and the strange food reactions are one connective-tissue picture, not five unrelated complaints. This page is one part of complex and chronic illness care at Bendavid Clinic, and because we also provide primary care, the doctor evaluating your hypermobility can be the same one reading your bloodwork and coordinating with your physical therapist or rheumatologist. Visits are long enough to work through a complicated history rather than a single sore joint.

Believed, Then Evaluated

Hypermobility gets called flexibility and hypermobile pain gets called anxiety. We assess it properly against published diagnostic criteria, then work out what’s driving the rest of your symptoms.

One Team for Overlapping Conditions

Hypermobility, POTS, and mast cell activation are usually one picture, not three referrals. Our licensed naturopathic doctors evaluate them together and coordinate with your existing specialists.

Vermont Rooted

Deeply connected to our local community, serving adults across the Burlington region.

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Your Path to Steadier Joints

Getting started is simple. Here's what to expect from your first visit.

Schedule in-person or via telemedicine through our EHR platform. You'll provide basic personal and medical history during sign-up.

802-881-0424

Connect with a Physician

We match you with one of our experienced physicians and schedule your appointment at a time that works for you.

Diagnosis & Treatment

Your physician diagnoses your condition and prescribes medication or an integrative treatment plan tailored specifically to you.

Follow-Up & Ongoing Care

Check-in appointments keep your progress on track and allow your care plan to evolve as your health improves.

What Our Patients Say

“

Dr. Jackie’s greatest strengths as a primary care provider lie in her natural abilities to listen, to empathize without judgement or condescension, and to enthusiastically and collaboratively design an action plan with her patients. While none of these qualities should make Dr. Jackie so unique as a care provider, it’s the unfortunate reality that many of us, especially female-identifying folks, live in. In just two visits, she was able to diagnose and create an accessible, approachable treatment plan for a number of deficiencies that other providers failed to notice. The experience has been not only validating, but healing both literally and figuratively. Burlington is BEYOND lucky to call her one of our own.

— P.T.

“

At the first appointment I instantly felt the warmth her office and whole self brings, it’s the most comfortable space and she offers the most inviting presence to be able to open up to and receive the kind of advice that is not only extremely helpful, but shows that she truly cares about her patients. I am so grateful I have found Dr. Jackie. Thank you so much for your inviting presence and everything you have taught me thus far!

— G.T.

“

I’ve had chronic health issues for years and Dr. Jackie is everything. Never felt so heard and seen and cared for by a primary care physician as much as I do with her! Thank you for truly caring about what you do and making the world a better place.

— H.P.

Find Us

Our Location

Address 305 St. Paul St., Suite 324
Burlington, VT 05401
Corner of Kilburn St. and St. Paul

Phone / Fax 802-881-0424 · Fax 802-352-8745

Hours Mon – Fri 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Parking Instructions
Parking available in the lots located on Kilburn St. Street parking also available. Handicap parking in 2 spots near the clinic entrance.

Insurance & New Patients

EDS & Hypermobility Care Cost & Coverage

Coverage varies by plan and by service. Office visits for hypermobility and Ehlers-Danlos are generally billed as medical visits, while genetic testing and elective regenerative injections are commonly self-pay. Call our Burlington, Vermont office at 802-881-0424 and we’ll help you confirm what your specific plan covers before your first visit.

We're currently accepting new patients and welcome referrals.

FAQ

We're Here to Answer All Your Questions

Have something on your mind that isn't covered here? Give us a call — we're always happy to chat.

Call Us: 802-881-0424

What is Ehlers-Danlos syndrome?

Ehlers-Danlos syndromes are a group of inherited connective tissue disorders that affect collagen — the protein that gives joints, skin, and blood vessels their structure. There are thirteen recognized types. The most common by far is hypermobile EDS, which typically involves joints that move beyond the normal range, frequent sprains, dislocations or subluxations, chronic pain, soft or stretchy skin, and fatigue.

What’s the difference between being hypermobile and having hEDS?

Joint hypermobility on its own is common and often causes no problems at all — many people simply have a wide range of motion. It becomes hypermobility spectrum disorder when it causes ongoing symptoms like pain, instability, or repeated injuries, and hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome when it also meets the full published diagnostic criteria, which include skin findings, family history, and specific musculoskeletal features. Care overlaps heavily across all three.

How is hypermobile EDS diagnosed?

Hypermobile EDS is diagnosed clinically, not by a lab test. A clinician measures joint range of motion using the nine-point Beighton score, reviews your history of dislocations, pain, skin changes, and healing, checks for family history, and rules out the other connective tissue disorders that can look similar. At Bendavid Clinic in Burlington, Vermont, that evaluation starts with a full history and a review of your joint and skin findings.

Is there a genetic test for Ehlers-Danlos syndrome?

For most types of EDS, yes — but not for hypermobile EDS, which is the most common type and currently has no identified gene, so it remains a clinical diagnosis. Genetic testing is used to identify or rule out the other types, including vascular EDS, which carries serious cardiovascular risk and is important not to miss. Testing is usually ordered through a genetics referral.

Is Ehlers-Danlos related to POTS and MCAS?

Frequently, yes. Hypermobile EDS, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, and mast cell activation syndrome overlap often enough that they’re commonly evaluated together, and many patients carry all three. Hypermobile connective tissue affects how blood vessels hold their tone, which is one proposed link to POTS. Bendavid Clinic evaluates for the overlapping conditions rather than treating the joints in isolation.

Can Ehlers-Danlos syndrome be treated?

There’s no cure for Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, but the symptoms are very treatable and the trajectory changes a great deal with the right plan. Care generally centers on joint protection and targeted strengthening — usually with a physical therapist — alongside pain management, pacing for fatigue, and treatment of the overlapping conditions like POTS and mast cell activation.

Do I need a diagnosis or a referral before being seen?

No. You don’t need a referral or an existing EDS diagnosis to be seen at Bendavid Clinic — we see both patients who arrive already diagnosed and patients who have spent years being told they’re just flexible. We also welcome referrals from other providers, and we coordinate with your physical therapist, rheumatologist, or geneticist if you already have one. Call our Burlington office at 802-881-0424 to schedule.

Does insurance cover EDS and hypermobility care?

Coverage varies by plan and by service. Office visits for hypermobility and Ehlers-Danlos are generally billed as medical visits, while genetic testing and elective regenerative injections are commonly self-pay. Call our Burlington, Vermont office at 802-881-0424 before your first visit and we’ll help you confirm what your specific plan covers.

Ready to Get Answers About Hypermobility?

Whether you’re newly diagnosed with hEDS, still looking for a name for the dislocations and the pain, or managing hypermobility alongside POTS, it starts with a full evaluation at our Burlington, Vermont clinic. We’re currently accepting new patients.

Schedule a Visit

802-881-0424 · 305 St. Paul St., Suite 324, Burlington, VT